Democratic National Convention features group of doctors that support health care reform.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2012
(MedPage Today) — Julie Meyers, MD, a pediatrician
from Pawtucket, R.I., realized she needed to do more than just treat children
in the clinic to help them.

So she and others like her became involved in local politics to help
foster change. That involvement led her to a slot as a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention here this week.

"I think most primary care providers want to make a difference in
their patients lives, and it takes a lot more than what you can do in the
office to help them," Meyers told MedPage Today in an interview on the
first day of the DNC.

A strong advocate of health reform, Meyers became involved in local
politics, joined activist groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics
and Doctors for America, and works "in any way that I can with people that
I know trying to fight the good fight," she said.

Michael Reddix, MD, an internist from Jackson, Miss., was inspired to
get involved in politics seeing President Obama become elected on a platform of
health reform and pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in his first
term.

The Mississippi delegate told MedPage Today that, in less than 4
years, that was more healthcare change than he'd seen in 17 years from
leadership in his state.

And that change is needed, Reddix said. Every day, he said, he sees
the epidemics of teen pregnancy, diabetes, obesity, and the impact of poverty
on families' health care.

Families may be able to make enough money to visit a doctor, but not
enough if one succumbs to a catastrophic illness, he said.

Also, the ACA provides assistance to increase providers in rural areas
like the National Health Service Corps program he took advantage of. It paid
for his medical education in exchange for practice in a rural area after
graduation.

"To have folks in the South, politicians and otherwise, to say we
don't need the Affordable Care Act is crazy," Reddix said.

It's a shame that politically conservative doctors have "turned
their back to what could be an advantage to the state," he
added.

Meyers, a supporter of the ACA, agreed with Reddix that there is a lot
of misunderstanding with the law and what it has to offer.

"I think if they understood better what it does they would be
more supportive of it," Meyers said.

Meyers and Reddix say they'd hate to see the ACA repealed, a staple of
the Republican platform this election year.

"I would be curious to see what they propose in place of
it," Meyers said. "We can't in my mind continue to go down the road
that we've been going because it's not affordable or not
sustainable."

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